Fun Fearless Males 2011: Penn Badgley

Who's more crushworthy than Dan Humphrey on Gossip Girl? He's
smart, honest…and gorgeous, of course. In real life, 24-year-old
Penn Badgley is pretty much the same. And it can't be easy for him to
stay that humble when he's been scoring tons of big-screen gigs: He
starred in The Stepfather in 2009, and this past September, he
played Emma Stone's dream boy in Easy A. We'll see him next in a
thriller about the financial crisis called Margin Call (alongside fellow
FFM Simon Baker). When he isn't on set, he's pursuing his other
dream: becoming a musician. Mmm, a man who can play guitar.

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Cosmo: Describe the most fearless thing you've done.

Penn Badgley: Going after my role in Margin Call. I've done extreme sports and that kind of thing, but with this, I am talking about the kind of fear that matters. To me, real fear
involves your resolve and your will. I pursued this role heavily, and
when I got it, I was like, Oh, shit. I'm at least 10 years younger than
everyone else in the cast, and I knew I would really have to perform.

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When you're not acting, what are you doing?

I play guitar,
piano, and bass. I also sing. In the next year, I'm going to focus on
that and hopefully do something real with it.

What's a dating deal breaker for you?

I couldn't date someone
who didn't like dogs. There are exceptions to the rule, but I find that
if someone doesn't like animals, I am a little suspicious of them.

What's really important to you in a relationship?

If you're with
someone, you need to be benefiting from it. If you're not really talking
and connecting, then fucking don't be in one. Just break up.